You Were Sleeping
by OneDayFamous
Summary: Hermione gets locked out of Gryffindor Tower.. Ron finds her asleep.. Etc.. Awwww...
1. Uno

Disclaimer: I own nothing except for the wonderfully exciting plot for this story. Actually, I probably stole it from someone else. So yeah, I own nothing. Except for my new pink pen!  
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Hermione left the library late. She had been given permission to stay after it closed because she wanted to get an early start on her Muggle Studies essay, A Muggle's Understanding of Witchcraft. The corridors were deserted, which was not surprising since the rest of the school had eaten dinner and retired to their common rooms hours ago.  
  
She walked in silence, aware of every little noise in the school. The coats of armor were softly creaking as they stirred in their sleep, and there were whispers coming from the subjects of various paintings who were still awake, scurrying from painting to painting carrying lanterns which made the corridors flicker softly.  
  
As much as she hated to admit, she was becoming quite nervous. She'd never wandered through the castle by herself this late at night. Sure, she'd been out lots with Ron and Harry on various excursions that would have gotten them into loads of trouble had anyone else found out, but she'd never been alone like this. She'd never noticed all of the subtle sounds of the castle at night when she was with Ron and Harry. She supposed it was because they always seemed to be on their way to do something relatively important (otherwise she'd never break school rules and go along with them) so she had something else to keep her mind on.  
  
Now, however, not even her Muggle Studies essay was enough to occupy her thoughts. As she walked past another creaking coat of armor, she shivered, and her thoughts drifted to Ron. "You're nothing but a bloody brain!" His words from earlier that day echoed over and over in her head. She wasn't sure if he knew how much that one comment had hurt her. Of course, she'd pretended at the time that it was nothing, but.. Was that really how he saw her? All he saw in her? He had the ability to hurt her more than anyone she'd ever known, yet at the same time she always felt so completely comfortable when he was near her. Nothing bad could ever happen to her while Ron was there, or if it did, just being with him seemed to make it better. She wondered why this was but was too tired to think clearly.  
  
Yawning, she walked the last few steps until she reached the portrait entrance to the Gryffindor tower. She sleepily said the password, "Bubotuber pus." Nothing happened. Hermione looked up at the portrait, where the Fat Lady usually was. It was empty. She frantically searched the nearby paintings but had no luck locating her. It looked as though she had left for the night.  
  
Hermione was dumbstruck. What was she supposed to do? Just wait out here until morning, when someone else could let her in? She supposed she had no choice. So, trying to be brave, she sat down on the floor and waited, realizing it would be hours before anyone woke up. Overcome with tiredness, she decided to lay down and try to sleep. Shivering, she held her wand in her hand, just in case.  
...  
  
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	2. Dos

A/N: Thank you, all of my wonderful reviewers! I was so happy to see 10 whole reviews in less than a day! Yay!! Ok, I think this story is slightly cheesy, especially in the part I haven't yet posted. Just so you know. And sorry for any horrible mistakes in it. And I'll try and post the last part soon. Thank you for your time!  
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Ron couldn't sleep. He kept thinking about how awful he'd been to Hermione earlier that day, calling her "nothing but a bloody brain" for choosing to study rather than eat with the rest of the school that night. He tossed and turned, thinking about how hurt she'd looked when he'd said it. She knew he hadn't meant it, didn't she? Now that he thought about it, he wasn't sure she did. Why should she, when every second word out of his mouth was directed at her as an insult? He wasn't sure why he did this so much. It was just something about Hermione.  
  
He needed to get up. Laying in bed worrying wasn't getting him any closer to sleeping. Maybe if he went down to the common room for a bit, he could find some sort of distraction from his guilt. He quietly got up, slipped on his maroon Weasley jumper, and went down the stairs. He carefully crossed the room to the dim light of the dying fire and was intending to sit on the couch there when he noticed something.  
  
"Bloody hell!" he whispered sharply. Two people were laying on it, entangled in eachother. He did not want to see this, and he did not want to be present when they woke up, just in case. But he wasn't ready to go back to his dormitory yet. He decided to take a quick walk out in the corridors. Ron quietly pushed open the Fat Lady's portrait and climbed out, closed it, turned around, and gasped... There was someone lying on the floor...  
  
"Hermione..." he breathed. He knelt at her side and found that she was simply sleeping. He breathed a sigh of relief, not quite sure what he'd been expecting. She looked so beautiful there. He'd never seen her sleeping like this. Before he knew what he was doing, he had softly brushed her cheek with his hand. He noticed she was quite cold. Hesitating just a moment, he pulled off his warm jumper and gently covered her with it. She stirred, and he worried he'd woken her but she continued sleeping, now with a soft smile on her face.  
  
Ron didn't want to wake Hermione so he moved to the opposite wall of the corridor and sat down, his eyes fixed on her. He couldn't get over her radiant beauty. How had he never really noticed before now? She was.. a goddess. A goddess, and one of his two best friends. He felt so lucky. Sitting there watching her sleep, he slowly became drowsy, and soon he was asleep as well.  
...  
  
  
Hermione woke up, suddenly aware of the soreness in one side of her body. She realized it was from sleeping on the floor. She remembered why she was here, and not in her own bed, and groaned. She couldn't believe she'd been stupid enough to try to come back to the common room so late that night, when she knew perfectly well that the Fat Lady didn't always stay in her painting. Ron was right, she should have gone to dinner with the rest of them instead of spending the whole night doing schoolwork. She sat up stiffly, and noticed something in the dim light.. Somebody was sitting, leaning on the opposite wall. They appeared to be asleep. Trembling slightly, she got up to see who it was. As she stood, something soft fell to the ground beside her.. It looked like a Weasley jumper.. Ron's jumper. She realized it had been covering her. Did that mean... She walked closer and looked at the sleeping boy in the dim light.  
  
"Ron..." She slowly sank to the floor beside him and felt comforted and warm, just knowing he was there beside her. She looked at his jumper, which was in her hand, and then at him, and realized he was probably cold. As was she. So she spread the jumper over the two of them. While doing this, she accidentally brushed his hand with hers. She paused briefly, and then somehow gathered the courage to entwine her fingers with his. She stayed like that, sitting beside Ron, the two of them under his jumper holding hands, for the next hour. Then she felt Ron stirring.  
...  
  
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	3. Tres

A/N: Awwww, you guys are so sweet with your reviews! I love you all! :) Well, this is the end of this story.. hope it's ok!  
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Ron woke up groggily. He opened his eyes and was surprised to find that he wasn't in his dormitory. Then he remembered why he'd left. And he also remembered Hermione. Where was she? She'd been right in front of him! He was about to panic when he realized that one of his hands was very warm, and it felt like.. like he was holding someone's hand. Feeling like an idiot for taking this long to notice, he slowly turned his head... and was looking into Hermione's soft brown eyes. His eyes widened, and he felt his face flushing to what must have been a glowing crimson.   
  
She smiled shyly, "Good morning Ron. Um.. Thank you for your jumper.." He blushed even more, if it was possible.  
  
"H-hi..." For the next few minutes they took turns shyly glancing at eachother, each looking away quickly when the other noticed. "Uh.." Ron began finally, "you.. you were sleeping... I couldn't sleep so I came out to go for a walk, and you were here.. sleeping.. and.. you.. uh, you looked cold, so I..." He looked away until Hermione squeezed his hand gently. He caught his breath and gazed into her eyes.  
  
"I stayed in the library so late, by the time I got back here the Fat Lady had gone so I couldn't get in. Really, thank you for your jumper.. I probably would have frozen without it.. And..." She looked down, "thanks for staying with me. I was getting pretty nervous by myself. When I woke up and saw you here, it made me.. I... Thank you.."  
  
This time Ron squeezed her hand. She closed her eyes, soothed by the heat of his hand and body beside her.  
  
"Hermione?" She looked up at him.   
  
"Mmm?"   
  
"I'm sorry about saying what I did today.. err, yesterday I guess. It's not true. You're much more than just a brain. I mean, that's bloody obvious. I don't know why I said it. I didn't mean it.. At all. I just... I don't know. I'm sorry."  
  
She looked into his eyes, full of sincerity. Then, instinctively, she leaned over and wrapped her arms around him. "Thank you," she murmured. "You don't know how much that means to me." She made a move to let go of him but found that he was holding her too. Smiling, she leaned in closer and hugged him tightly. They fell asleep in each other's arms, both sleeping better than they had in weeks.  
...  
  
  
"Whoa!"  
  
Ron and Hermione woke with a start at the sound of Harry's voice. He seemed to be at a loss for words, although he looked like he wanted to say more. Instead, he just smiled at the two of them cuddling.  
  
At the same instant, Ron and Hermione realized they were still holding each other and sprang apart, pretending there had been nothing going on between them.  
  
"Right," sniggered Harry. "Um, I'm on my way to the Great Hall.. You might want to watch what you're doing, the others will be out soon.." And with that he walked off, laughing to himself.  
  
"Ron.."  
  
Ron suddenly snapped back to reality, realizing again that Hermione was there with him. Hermione.. with him!  
  
"Ron, what's happening between us? What are we?"  
  
He felt his face burning but managed to look her in the eye while he reached for her hand. "What.. what do you want us to be?"  
  
She hesitated, then blurted out, "I want us to be Ron and Hermione.. Best friends.. More than friends.. Together.. I don't want to be without you, Ron. I know I don't deserve your love, but I want it so much. I want us to be an "us."" She looked close to tears.  
  
"Hermione... you.. you think you don't deserve me? Why?? You're.. amazing..."  
  
"I'm not. I'm smart, but that's it. And not even smart, I just get good grades in school. Outside of school, I'm not smart. I'm.. ugly. I'm.. I'm just not good enough for you, Ron. You could have any girl you wanted."  
  
Ron awkwardly wiped a tear from her cheek. "'Mione," he whispered, "first of all, you ARE smart, not just in school. Second, you are NOT ugly. You're.. you're beautiful." Hermione laughed dryly. "You are.. Hermione, you're more beautiful than a room full of veela. Haven't you ever noticed how I can't keep my eyes off you? There are so many things I love about you. I love the way you get so determined to study. I love your dedication to the house elves, even though I know I act like I don't. I love how you'll do anything for a friend, no matter what. Blimey, I like you so much. Hermione.. You said I could have any girl I wanted.. Well, I want you. Can I.. can I have you? Please, Hermione. I'm not just saying this so I don't hurt your feelings. I think I.. love you. Yeah, I do. I love you. It's nothing less than love. It took me so long to realize, but I think, looking back, I've loved you since first year. 'Mione.. don't cry.." He gingerly wiped another tear from her cheek.  
  
"Oh, Ron!" She cried as she flung her arms around him and buried her face in his shoulder. "Ron, I love you too.. I do... Thank you for being my Ron.. I love you."  
  
Ron hugged her back and hesitated, then leaned over and kissed the top of her head, letting his lips linger. He didn't want to ever let go of her. And he knew, somehow, that he never would.  
  
~THE END~ 


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